Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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The Minister of State, Deputy Grealish, is most welcome to Seanad Éireann.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this important Commencement matter. I thank the Minister of State for coming here to address this. In essence, I have asked for the Minister to make a statement on mink farms in Ireland, now closed, and to confirm the status and compensation agreed with the affected operators and if there are any outstanding matters in relation to same.

The Minister of State will be aware that the Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 provided for the statutory prohibition of fur farming along with a compensation scheme. I wish to be clear; I fully supported the legislation. I acted proactively and robustly on behalf of the three owners because I recognised that they had a valid business regardless of my views on animal welfare in relation to mink farming, which I do not support, but I support the fact that they had legitimate legal enterprises within this State. The State took a decision in conjunction with stakeholders, conscious of European directions in relation to this matter and conscious to a whole of range issues. It was decided that the remaining fur farms would close, but at the commencement of that would be a package of compensation for the employees and farm enterprises. That would be the replacement of alternative agri-related uses for these farms.

In January 2023, the then Minister for agriculture, Deputy Charlie McConalogue, signed the legislative order which saw the closure of fur farms in counties Kerry, Donegal and Laois. Over €2 million compensation has already been given to existing farm owners. My concern relates to one in County Laois. There are extenuating circumstances around it. I do not want to get into the naming of it because that is not relevant. What is relevant is that there was an agreement entered into with fur farmers to close them down. They have complied with that, they have humanely destroyed any breeding stocks they had, and I understand there is now no legal fur farming in Ireland. Therefore, the issue is the outstanding issue of the payment. The legislation made provision for the payment of this compensation based on the income loss, non-income, cost for the dereliction and the cost of providing alternative enterprise because we are talking about people's livelihoods. What is the plan? What is the scheme of things? What is the timeframe?

I looked this morning at the Veterinary Ireland policy document on fur farming. It made a strong case. It sets out the European model and the concerns about animal welfare. It made absolute sense. I acknowledge that very significant document from 2018. There is no dispute. Fur farming is banned in Ireland. Most of the compensation has been paid out, but there are a few outstanding issues. I hope we can get some sort of pathway and timeline to resolve those outstanding issues so we can say in the next few weeks and months that, once and for all, the complete package is that fur farming is banned, the farmers and the people involved in this enterprise have been fully compensated, the workers who were involved in this have been compensated or a relevant financial position put in place for them and we can progress. This is about honour and commitment to what we agreed when we signed up and supported this legislation.

Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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I thank the Senator for raising this issue. The programme for Government 2020 contained a commitment regarding the prohibition of fur farming. As a result of this commitment, the Department enacted the Animal Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 in December 2022, amending the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. The new Act contained a statutory prohibition on the breeding, rearing or keeping of certain animals solely or primarily for the value of, or the manufacture of products from, their fur or skin.

In June 2021, the then Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Charlie McConalogue, announced compensation for fur farming operators licensed under the Musk Rats Act 1933 following a decision to ban the practice. The Department introduced the legislative framework to compensate the remaining fur farming operators in Ireland who were impacted by the ban. Under the Animal Health and Welfare (Fur Farming Compensation Scheme) Regulations 2022, SI 650 of 2022, fur farming operators could receive compensation for income losses, non-income losses and costs incurred as a direct result of the ban. SI 650 of 2022 also made provision for compensation in respect of loss of profits, demolition and clean-up costs and professional fees for services both before and after the prohibition.My Department was also aware that workers who were to be made redundant needed to be provided for in the legislation, as the Senator mentioned. Therefore, a further provision was included to ensure a training fund to compensate the redundant workers affected by the closure of fur farming operators.

In accordance with SI 650 of 2022 and in order to avail of the compensation scheme, fur farming operators were required to submit a completed application for compensation to my Department no later than the date of the appointment of the assessor, EY, which was appointed in December 2022 by the then Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Charlie McConalogue, to determine payment amounts following a tendering process. Determinations by the assessor required the applicant to submit a completed application with all of the required supporting documentation. The assessor appointed a quantity surveyor to provide expert advice on certain demolition and repurposing works and a site visit was required for this work to proceed.

Work is ongoing on this matter. The compensation process has been ongoing since December 2022. To date, a total of almost €3.4 million has been paid to fur farming operators under this scheme. I will bring back to the Minister the issues raised by the Senator.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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That is a very comprehensive response for which I thank the Minister of State. I am glad he confirmed that the compensation had risen to €3.4 million. He mentioned the role of EY. No one does anything for nothing and everyone has to be paid. The outstanding issue is how the demolition will be dealt with appropriately, along with the repurposing of the site and compensation. I hope to come back here in a few months and put the same Commencement matter down. It is to be hoped that, at that stage, we will have a response that the business has been signed off on and completed, in line with the legislation passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas.

I thank the Minister of State for his engagement on this matter.

Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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My Department and the contracted assessor, EY, have made every effort to expedite applications and pay the determined compensation amounts in accordance with SI 650 of 2022 in a timely manner. SI 650 provides for an application procedure for compensation purposes. The compensation includes payments for income losses, non-income losses and costs incurred as a direct result of the ban. There has been recent developments at EU level regarding fur farming. Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/1422 of July 2025 provides for a ban on the breeding of American mink from August 2027. Ireland is one of 16 member states that has already banned fur farming. My Department keeps animal welfare legislation under review with respect to developments in the area of animal welfare and the practical lessons learned.